Intro
Mostly the Gupta program has been good and positive, but sometimes I feel like he reaches conclusions that haven’t been researched enough. I also feel that he ignores some aspects of ME, fibromyalgia, and related health problems.
positive
The Gupta program that I’m doing has interesting ideas, including mindfulness, gratitude, and acceptance. He uses relaxation exercises. He helps us learn to listen to our bodies and to have compassion for ourselves. He helps us become aware of and overcome negative ways of seeing ourselves and our health problems. He teaches us to let go of catastrophizing about our health, its limitations, and stresses. He helps us look to the future with hope. I like that he says that we can modify what he says to fit our own belief systems.
disagree with
I feel like Gupta goes too far sometimes though. For most, using his program would only be part of their work of managing their health problems, not a cure for the whole illness. Imagining yourself healthy and well can be good, but I feel there’s also the danger of denying reality if the imagining goes too far. I believe in being firmly rooted in truth but looking for hope and seeking to improve also.
trauma and negative thoughts
He has us look for traumas and stressors in the time surrounding the start of our illnesses. Science and modern research show that ME, fibromyalgia and related illnesses are most often caused by infections. But he sometimes acknowledges infections as a cause too. He even mentioned a cytokine storm in a webinar. But then he immediately says that these only fit into his view of these illnesses.
We all have stressors in our lives. We all have negative thought patterns that we need to work on, but it doesn’t automatically mean that those things caused our illnesses. These illnesses are rarely caused by emotional trauma. Trauma can affect any number of illnesses. That doesn’t make trauma the cause.
loop in the brain
He likes to say that ME, FMS, orthostatic intolerance, and sensitivities are “just a loop in the brain.” I feel that is oversimplifying. ME and related illnesses have physical causes, as modern research shows. He will acknowledge this then go back to insisting that it’s “just a loop in the brain.”
Here’s my view of this. This isn’t how he explains it, but it’s my guess why his methods work with varying amounts of success for some. Those who’ve been in therapy for emotional struggles learn that we can get stuck in vicious cycles that keep us from moving forward. He teaches how to break out of various thought patterns that can keep us from taking care of ourselves.
Also, many of us are familiar with the push-crash cycle where we force our bodies past all our limits, which worsens our symptoms. We can get into negative cycles with our health. For example, being stressed out makes it hard to sleep. Lack of sleep makes pain and other symptoms worse. Those in turn can increase fatigue and worsen moods, etc. He helps us break out of the negative cycles.
I don’t agree that the “loop in our brain” is the cause of these illnesses. I don’t think breaking out of the “loop in our brain” is the cure. But I can see how breaking out of negative cycles can give our bodies and minds more of a chance to heal naturally.
only listen to him
He also tells people not to be actively learning about our illnesses while we’re doing his program. He feels that doing so will keep us from believing him and imagining ourselves better. I don’t agree with this. There is potential danger in ignoring research about these illnesses. We need to know the scientific evidence and causes. Also, some people might have other health problems going on that need exploring.
I feel that it’s fine to keep learning things that help us. For example, while I’ve been doing the Gupta program, I’ve read a book about forgiving which definitely helped me break out of some negative thought cycles. I’ve also been reading a self-help book for those with ME and fibromyalgia. This book helped me understand better how physical symptoms can contribute to each other in negative cycles.
Sum up
I like that he uses acceptance of our situation, mindfulness, and pacing. He even talks about nutrition, supplements, sleep, enjoying nature, vitamin D, etc. He also teaches about healing different parts of us, such as the overachiever, the perfectionist, the inner critic, etc. He helps us sort through how these things might be keeping us stuck in negative cycles. I can also tell that he has kept learning since he made the original videos.
So, even though I don’t agree with all his views, I am finding his program to be a helpful part of my overall treatment.
The Gupta Program https://guptaprogram.com
photo of the Swiss Alps, Switzerland lake https://pixabay.com/photos/swiss-alps-switzerland-lake-1062746/
